Donna R. Downes
Associate Professor of Global Leadership

Developing Leaders across the Globe

“I think most churches and Christian ministries—no matter where they are in the world—would say they need well-prepared, spiritually mature, visionary leaders,” says Donna Downes, associate professor of global leadership.  “Not just leaders who can manage the status quo, but leaders who can help their churches and organizations creatively navigate the complex, global, pluralistic, postmodern environment in which we live today.”

Dr. Downes, who recently returned to the U.S. after 24 years on the mission field in Africa and Eastern Europe, works primarily with Fuller's Master of Arts in Global Leadership (MAGL) program—through which pastors and missionaries can be equipped to be such global leaders, without having to leave their current ministries or homes to pursue seminary studies. “The majority of the program is done online, part-time, over a three- to four-year period,” Downes explains.  “Each week the wonders of technology allow students to watch lectures, view illustrative materials and media, dialogue about the weekly readings and problems posed, and together find ways of applying what they’re learning.”  The program is structured using the community-building cohort model, with a consistent group of students taking core classes together.  Half of the program’s 72 quarter units are standard to the program, but the other half can be adapted to meet the needs of specific students in their ministry contexts.

Downes considers it a privilege to work with a new cohort of around 30 dedicated leaders each year and hopes to cultivate in each of them “a servant’s heart, a love for people, and a passion for sharing the love and hope of Christ with those in their communities and around the world.”

Learn more about Fuller's MAGL program.